Sport science students help post-season testing at MK Dons

University of Bedfordshire students help MK Dons with post-season testing.

Published:10:03Tuesday 17 May 2016

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Students from the University of Bedfordshire have been assisting the MK Dons in their post-season testing.

The testing was carried out on the first team by head of sport science Damien Doyle.

and students on the BSc strength and conditioning course.

Helping him was University of Bedfordshire graduate Tom Bromley who is now working as the Dons first team and academy sports scientist. Putting the Dons through their paces, pictured, were also first year students Aaron Millar, Elliot Plant, Liam Brown and Oliver Taylor who conducted tests to measure their flexibility, speed and strength using a range of the sport science and physical activity department’s mobile equipment.

The data will be combined with previous results and provide a baseline for future ones to create a more complete profile of the elite players.

Dons player Ben Reeves said: “It gives us an idea of what we need to work on. It gives us a target to try and hit in the future.”

Not only is the testing beneficial to the Championship club, but also to the students who assisted, whose practical skills and employability have been boosted by the experience.

Oliver said: “I’d definitely recommend this course, especially because you get to work with such a big academy and that a few days ago we were working with the first team as well.

“It just shows that we can progress on and work with high performing, and well regarded athletes.”

Head of sport science Damien Doyle was appreciative of their support and added: “The guys came down and helped set up, as well as assist with the testing we did. They brought with them equipment which isn’t available to us at MK Dons, such as speed gates, which is a big help to us.

“They were heavily involved in all our testing and without them we couldn’t have got the quality of results that we’ve got.”